Nature and Animals
by reapersama101
Summary: Dedicated to one of my reviewers. Nikki Ann is a mysterious girl whose imprinted on by Brendan Hardy, a new wolf. She can hear animals' thoughts and sometimes humans' thoughts. But there's something even stranger about her; she's random! Live the life.
1. Love Ya!

_A/N: I apologize for all of my stories I've yet to finish (aka all of them). I don't own Twilight's characters but I do own my OC characters. I want to dedicate this story to MadtotheBone1. You're awesome, you're my strength!_

Nikki Ann PoV:

_Tweet! Tweet! _I smiled as I stroked the blue feathers of the bird. What type was it? I had no clue. It had just come up and flown onto my finger, like I was Snow fucking White. Yay for me, right? I get pretty animals! That ought to make hunting season a whole shitload easier. Joking; I hate hunting and I'm a vegetarian so that does not happen to work. _Who's this person? What's she doing here? She's really pretty! _A voice echoed into my mind. I smiled down at the bird. "My name is Nikki," I whispered to the bird. _Nikki, huh? If she tries to kill me I'll peck her eyes out! _I giggled at that thought and shook my head. "I'm not going to try and kill you." I giggled. _Whoa; how does she understand that? _I shrugged and sighed. "I can hear your thoughts," I whispered. Anybody who'd heard that would send me straight to the nuthouse and make sure I got a room with a view just to inspire my insane mind. Ain't I fantastic?

The bird let out another tweet and fluttered from my finger to my shoulder. _If you can read my mind then what am I thinking right now? Apple pie! _I giggled at that and shook my head. "Apple pie isn't particularly my favorite but to each his own, right?" I giggled as I leaned back against the tree behind me. I brought one knee up to my chest and closed my eyes against the trees. Then it got worse. The thoughts began to buzz into my head at frantic speeds and overflow my mind. Believe it or not, this would happen anywhere. It only happened with animals and only some people. It was still in development. At the age of fifteen I could hear animals' thoughts and was limited to the people I focus really hard on. I guess I'm not the most normal girl, huh?

I sighed and felt my eyelids droop even more despite the fact that they were closed. "Jeez," I muttered. But this was my new town; I could fall asleep in the forests, couldn't I?

Brendan PoV:

"_Why don't you stop for some McDonalds on your way home if you're so hungry?" _Collin thought to me. Oh, yeah; you read right. He _thought _to me. He didn't say it to me. He thought it to me. You want to know why? Because we were furry. _"Are you fucking kidding me, Col? The nearest McDonalds is all the way in Port Angeles! No fucking way. I think I'll stick to mama's old school cooking. She won't get too upset if I actually eat some of it." _I thought back. Now back to our furriness; Collin and I are wolves. We're shape-shifters (technically seeing as we don't need the moon to phase into a wolf). Simple and clean! It wasn't so complicated once you get over the amazing growth-spurt, the awful painful phasing stage, the never-aging thing, the listening-to-your-Pack-Alpha (aka Sammy boy) and then the side order of falling-in-love-at-first-sight-with-your-soul-mate thing (which I haven't done yet, by the way). Oh, and then there was the whole Pack Plural thing! That meant we could read each other's minds when in wolf form. Yep; isn't it great that we don't get one ounce of privacy? We had a bunch of wolves separated into two packs then put back into one (it's an on/off type thing between the two alphas); Jacob (alpha #2, imprinted on Nessie, his girlfriend/half vampire), Sam (Sammy boy/alpha#1, imprinted on Emily, his wife), Quil (imprinted on Claire, a four year old girl).

Then there's my buddies, Embry (he's single, ladies!), Jared (imprinted on his girlfriend, Kim), Leah (imprinted on her boyfriend, Tom and is the only female wolf so far), Brady (single), Collin (previously mentioned, single), Paul (imprinted on Jacob's sister, Rachel), Seth (again, single and funny, ladies! He's quite the catch *wink*), me (Brendan, 16 and single babies!), then there's my brother Danny (imprinted on his sweetheart, Trisha). I'm so happy for myself. Yeah, I'm bitter; deal with it.

I let out a wolfy sigh at my thoughts and exhaust before I headed to the perimeter of the forest. "Ha, ha!" I cried out once in human form. I met up with Collin halfway. He was jogging in human form but he had company. There was…

I blinked at the human girl who lay in his arms. Dear Jesus. "Dude…" Collin said, trailing off. But I didn't look up at him. I couldn't take my eyes off this…Goddess! I mean, she had thick black hair that was cut to her chin and slight bangs that were partially tucked behind her right ear and partially hanging over her right eye. It shone slightly a tint of blue and her beautiful face showed slight features that were like that of a young girl. It's not like she looked Asian (sorry, not to sound racist; just describing her) but she definitely looked….pale. She had dark circles under her eyes but her beauty outdone those. Her small petite body was one that could probably only go up to my shoulders, maybe an inch more. But she was sickly thin. Still her curves were pronounced on her body showing she was a girl around my age at least. She seemed to give off this…aura. It just made me shiver but in a good way!

I instantly felt the strength of a million chains force me to be near her. But it wasn't like I had an issue with that. It was like how the guys described it; our souls were linked. The girl was wearing a pair of faded jeans with holes in the knees and small rips at the thighs and calves of the jeans but they seemed to be old tears and she wore a black V-neck sweater with the sleeves pulled up to the elbows along with a pair of black and white high tops. She wore a thick black velvet choker around her neck that seemed worn thin and had a rather large silver bell hanging off of it. I smiled; she definitely gave off cat-like features. I guess that's what I get; a cat for a dog. I blinked up at Collin and was nearly breathless at her features. "You carry her if she's your goddamned imprint," Collin laughed and tossed the girl to me. I couldn't stop the growl the elicited from my throat when Collin threw her into the air. The bell jangled noisily and she stirred in her rest. "What happened?" I asked, looking down at the girl. I brushed away a strand of hair. It was so goddamned soft.

"I don't know; I found her asleep and tried to wake her up. It was really weird though; there were a bunch of animals around her. I got kind of worried since all the animals were around her and the Cullens hunt animals and might mix her up." Collin chuckled. I growled again at him and shot him a look. "Whatever; let's just take her to Em's. Maybe they'll know what to do with her." Collin said. What was this girl doing in the forest in the middle of the night? Collin reached over and fiddled with the bell a bit before giving a satisfied smile. "I just wanted to do that," He muttered with a chuckle as we began to walk away. She stirred constantly but never woke. "What could make this girl so exhausted?" I murmured to myself. Collin raised a matter-of-fact finger and was about to say something but I shot him a glare that shut him up.

The girl stirred again in her sleep and actually cuddled up to me. I got to admit; imprinting is pretty sweet. But it's also a train wreck! For instance when Collin nearly made me drop her on purpose just to test it. I growled at him and boy was he in for it as soon as I dropped her off at Emily's! But then again, I didn't want to just drop her off at Emily's. I wanted to actually stay by her side. "Never thought you'd go soft," Collin chuckled as we finally made it to Emily's. Everyone was there, per usual. Everyone was waiting to switch off patrols.

"Stray imprint! Come get your stray imprint!" Collin cried out to the house as we walked in through the door. "I'm going to kill you, Col; you just wait," I growled at him. Everyone was already in the kitchen to greet us. Jake, Brady and Embry were all laughing their asses off at Collin's comments. "Where'd you find her?" Sam asked us immediately and took her from my arms. Cold…my arms felt cold when she left them. "I found her in the middle of the forest, completely conked out," Collin laughed. Sam blinked at him then sighed and took her to the living room where he set her down on the couch. "And when I brought her back to Bren for show and tell I didn't think he'd like her that much." Collin added. Embry chuckled and shook his head. "One less single ladies' man," He chuckled and sat down in the recliner beside the couch. I rolled my eyes and sat down on top of him. "I'm getting a little too comfy," Embry chuckled and I instantly jumped off him. Even if he was just joking, that was just sick. I shoved him off the recliner and sat down.

"Anyone know her name?" Sam asked. I shook my head along with Collin and I went back to staring at her. She was gorgeous. She looked so peaceful in her sleep and looked so innocent at the same time. She curled into a small ball on the couch and yawned in her sleep. "She's adorable," Collin cooed. I growled at him and he chuckled. "Back off, Collin; he will kill you." Jake warned him. Collin rolled his eyes but stopped harassing me all the same. I gave a thankful smile to Jake and then turned back to the girl. What were we going to do when she woke up? "You want to know the oddest thing about her too?" Collin asked the group. Everyone's eyes turned to him in interest but I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was my imprint; she was mine.

"She was surrounded by animals." Collin announced as if it were some big punch line. "What do you mean?" Sam asked. "Like, there was a fucking bird on her shoulder and there were squirrels and hell, there was even a fucking mountain lion near her!" Collin announced. I turned to him now. Mountain lions were dangerous… "But they were just sitting around her, just waiting for something." Collin said and sat down on the armrest of the couch. "That's creepy," Brady muttered and turned back to the girl. What was so special about her other than the fact that I loved her?

Nikki Ann PoV:

I yawned awake, sounding like a kitten even to my own ears. It was a wonder what I sounded like to the people surrounding me. There was one person hovering over me with a woman. The woman had thick, shiny black hair and scars running all down the right side of her face. "That's creepy," I heard someone say and I turned to them. It was one hell of a large dude. "You people are new," I muttered and blinked at them. Everyone turned to me and I rolled my shoulders because they were stiff. I sat up and shook out my hair. It was a habit; I did it every time I woke up. My bell jangled noisily and I held it between my middle finger and my thumb to silence it. I looked around the room. Damn, there were a lot of buff, tan people! I felt small and pale compared to them. Hell, I was. But there was one guy. He was cute. He had short cropped hair that was spiky and the reason he stuck out from all the others was because instead of brown eyes he had green eyes. They were really bright, lime green eyes. They were impeccably entrancing.

He was only wearing a pair of denim cut-offs and a black T-shirt along with a pair of dog-tags and a Nike wristband. He was leaning forward so his elbows leaned against his knees and his head was slightly ducked. He was buff and incredibly beautiful.

He was also staring at me with a weird dazzling smile. While he was smiling I counted the people in the room. There were eleven guys other than him that all looked identical. They all had tan skin, buff, were tall and had brown eyes and black short hair. But their facial features were different so they weren't all identical…okay, not putting a –let at the end of the number eleven. Eleven-lets? Anyways, they were all impeccably perfect with bright white teeth and their brilliant looks. Not to mention that none of them wore shirts so I knew exactly what they'd be hiding. The only one wearing a shirt was green-eyes. Then my eyes went back to the woman and I smiled at her. "Hi, I'm Nikki," I said and held my hand out to her. "I'm Emily," The woman said, obviously confused as to what to say.

Then I got a glimpse of my surroundings. Okay; I was in a forest when I fell asleep…and now I'm in a house. They obviously found me and were worried! But wouldn't they be suspicious because of the animals? Not to mention I sleep a lot when I'm surrounded by animals. No wonder I didn't wake up! "Okay, Emily," I started and rubbed my hands mischievously. "Can you tell me where exactly I am? My parents are worried, no doubt," I said. Wrong; my parents didn't know I was out. They had their hands full with my new baby sib, Nick. "Oh, that's right! But my friends found you and had no clue who you were so they brought you here." Emily said. I giggled. "Anyways, you're on, um, Maple drive?" Emily offered. I smiled and nodded before standing up. More than one person tried to tend to me when I got a bit of a head-rush when I stood up. "Okay, nope! I'm close enough to home," I announced and smiled at Emily. Green-eyes was at my side from having offered his help. "At least stay for the night; we can't have you leaving at this time of night. And besides, you need food," Emily said. I looked at the ceiling absently in thought. If I went out now I could catch a ride on a Mountain lion or something without them knowing but if I hitch a ride in the morning, I can spend some time with green eyes and this new chick, Emily. Okey-doke! "Okay," I said, smiling at her. She smiled back, relieved I wasn't going to rush out of here.

"I don't think I've seen you in town," Emily observed as she led me into the kitchen. I shrugged as I skipped after her. "I'm new in town," I said and looked around the kitchen. "You've got a pretty house," I observed. Emily smiled and nodded. "Thank you," She said. "Are you allergic to anything so that I don't accidentally give you an allergic reaction?" Emily laughed. "Nope, nothing," I said, shaking my head. "You got a last name, Nikki?" Emily asked. "Nicola Ann Sawyer," I said proudly with my chin held high. "But I like to be called Nikki or Nikki Ann. It's much easier than 'Nicola'," I said and stuck my tongue out in distaste. Emily giggled as she and I talked while she made some food. By the time she was done I had three ham and cheese sandwiches. "Yum!" I cried out and dug into my first one. I was full by the time that I finished my third sandwich. Emily raised her eyebrow in question. "Well, I'm a hungry person. I have a fast metabolism." I said with a shrug. "Who's Green Eyes?" I asked and pointed at Green Eyes in the living room. "That is Brendan Hardy," Emily said proudly. "He's single," She whispered. I giggled. "Yeah, well, my mom says that guys are only after one thing." I said. Emily chuckled to herself as she went to making more sandwiches. "Truthfully, I think that one thing is chocolate," I stage whispered to her. "And every girl's got to protect her chocolate," I said, nodding in approval at my statement. Emily laughed out loud at that.

"My friend, Collin, said that there were a bunch of animals around you when you were asleep. Do you know why?" Emily asked as she made the sandwiches, trying to pass it off as a second-rate topic even though I knew I had her full-attention. "That's frightening; what if one animal bit me and now I'm going to grow fur?" I said and looked down at myself, making my bell jingle. "I should work on my growl," I said and made a slight growl.

"But somehow whenever I growl, I sound like a Chihuahua," I rambled on as I watched her make sandwiches. "Chihuahuas are not very frightening. What am I gonna do when my furry boyfriend eats all my food or pisses me off?" I cried out. That was a very serious subject. Emily full out laughed while I just shrugged. "I guess I'll have to bite him." I said as I twirled around on the stool. "You do know you're very random, right?" Emily giggled. I smiled. "I'm starting to wonder if they make a profession for random people." I said absently. "Maybe I should go into book writing! There is no real job description for that other than you require an actual book that you actually wrote." I said. "Do you have ADD, by any chance?" Emily asked. "I have no clue! I never paid attention long enough to listen," I joked. Emily laughed again and shook her head in disbelief. I heard a couple of chuckles from the living room and I began to know that they heard us.

Then Green Eyes (sorry; Brendan) walked into the kitchen, giving a shy smile. He really was adorable. "Hi," He said shyly to me. I smiled up at him. I had completely expected this; he'd been staring at me and I'll bet that he believes in love at first sight just as much as me! "Do you like monkeys?" I asked to save him the trouble of starting a conversation. He looked at me oddly. "Sure," He said. "Good 'cause I like monkeys. They're like double-jointed midgets with fur." I said. "And the tails don't appear on midgets all that often either," I rambled on. Brendan laughed at this and nodded. "But they seem to be pleased with throwing their own waste at people. That's gross. If I had a pet monkey, I'd scold him for throwing poop at people. It's really a disgusting habit of theirs." I said. "Then there's the whole matter of bananas! You know, the prices for bananas would really go up if everyone owned a pet monkey." I mused. "We'd have to deal with second for oranges!" I cried out enthusiastically, flinging my arms in the air in exasperation. "I mean, have you ever seen a monkey eating an orange before?" I asked Brendan. He laughed and shook his head. "No, I've got to say I've never seen a monkey eating an orange." Brendan said and sat down on the stool next to me. I smiled at him. "That's because monkeys don't like round fruits." I pointed out.

Brendan raised his eyebrows at me and supported his chin on the palm of his hand on the counter. "And most fruits are round! Have you ever noticed that?" I asked him. He shook his head, seeming completely content with his lack of conversation. Good; we were perfect for each other. "I mean, oranges, grapes, apples and pineapples are oval which is close enough!" I cried out. My bell jingled loudly and I reached up to silence it. "But that'd be pretty hilarious to see a monkey eating a pineapple." I giggled at the thought of it. And that's how I met Brendan Hardy, Emily Young, Sam Uley, Collin (don't know his last name), Brady (last name N/A), Danny Hardy, Jacob Black, Embry Call, Quil Ateara Jr., Seth Clearwater, Leah Clearwater and Jared (again, last name N/A).

_A/N: I hope you like it, peoples! I'm keeping on going!_


	2. I'm A Lion mama!

Nikki Ann PoV:

I smiled at Brendan before heading up to my front door. "I'll see ya in school!" I called to them as they drove off. I skipped up to the house and opened the door. Mom ambushed me. "What happened?" Mom questioned. "I fell asleep somewhere and some of my friends found me. It was too late to go home by then so I stayed the night." I said. "Now, let's go unpack!" I cried out and skipped up to my room. I could hear my parents briefly before I closed the door. "I swear that girl is going to end up in a bad state at some point." My dad said. I rolled my eyes as I closed my door and stared at the room before me.

=X=X=X=

"Stop being stubborn and tell me where it hurts," I muttered as I searched over the mountain lion in front of me. _My leg! My leg hurts now fix it! _The large cat thought and growled threateningly at me. I flicked its nose and rolled my eyes. "Which leg?" I asked. The mountain lion lifted its front paw and whimpered at the pain. I poked the leg and the mountain let out a ferocious roar of pain and anger. "Okay, okay! So it seems to be broken or something," I muttered and pulled out the Ace bandage I had. I grabbed a stick nearby and straightened the paw with it before wrapping the bandage around the stick and paw. "Stay off the paw and have your lioness bring you food so that you can stay off it." I instructed softly and smiled before sitting cross-legged. "Until you're strong enough to hobble over to your cave, I have a buddy to talk to!" I squealed enthusiastically. "How'd you break the leg, anyways?" I asked, tilting my head curiously. The movement irked my bell and I held the bell still with my middle-finger and my thumb to keep it silent. _Something attacked me. A human but very strong. _The lion answered.

I nodded my understanding even though I didn't really understand. I furrowed my brow in confusion. "A human shouldn't be able to snap a leg clean in half," I mumbled. _She was very strong. And when the light caught her skin she glittered like river jewels. _The cat said in awe. I smiled. "Well, I think that finding a girl who sparkles ought to be an easy feat." I giggled. _She really did sparkle! She was pale too and had golden eyes. She has a Pack that she travels with and has mahogany hair down to her back. She is very beautiful and they would normally feed on humans. I believe your kind calls them the Cold Ones. _The lion thought. "I wasn't being sarcastic! All I have to do is get the person that matches this description into the light then scold her! If she was going to break your leg, she should've killed you fully at least." I said. _How is that much better? _The cat shouted in his mind and growled at me. "Because it causes less shame and you won't be able to feed your family for a while. No animal should be left at a disadvantage; you could've died honorably because if they feed off of animals, it seems that they have fed on more than just you." I said.

_Then she should be sentenced to death! _The lion thought angrily. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Trying to reason with a feline was like trying to tell an Anorexic woman she doesn't look fat. "Think about it; if they would normally feed on humans then this would be honorable seeing as they are giving up a delectable meal for a far less delectable meal. No offense, kitty," I said and pet the cat's head. He nudged into my hand and actually purred. _I suppose if their regular diet would be to feed off of humans, it would be a step down from vampirism. _The cat thought. "Vampirism? I suppose if they are vampires then that means they're only trying to preserve the human race. And by preserving the human race we can help a lot." I said, still petting the cat's head absently. Yay; the skinny woman no longer believes that she's fat! "You're a nice chat buddy," I cooed and hugged the cat's head. _And my name is Micah, not 'kitty'. _I giggled at that and nodded. "Alright, Micah," I said. The cat purred even more and settled his head on my lap.

"Do you want me to help you to your cave?" I asked the mountain lion and glanced at the area. _No; it would be considered traitorous to give out a habitat to a human. _Micah answered. I sighed and nodded. _I owe you my life, child. _Micah said kindly as he stood up on his three legs. "It's Nikki and nope! I like helping and I got a chat buddy," I giggled. Micah bowed his head in respect and hobbled off quite quickly in the general direction of his habitat. I sighed as the buzzing began in my head. I quickly stood up and jogged to my house. By the time I got in and got to my bedroom my head was killing me. It was worse because usually I would've passed out by now. But never such a deal when it's me.

=X=X=X=

I skipped into the school in my new outfit. I was wearing a pair of brand new jeans and a new V-neck silver sweater that reached low on my chest but not too inappropriately. I had my bell and was wearing a pair of suede flat-heeled brown boots. Over the outfit I wore my usual grey trench coat unbuttoned. My hair was combed neatly and freshly washed so it was fluffy and shiny. A clap of thunder roared overhead and some girls nearby screamed at the shock. I giggled as I skipped up to Brendan and his friends. There were some other girls there too. "Hi ya, Brendan," I said excitedly. "Isn't it a great day?" I observed. To prove my point a shock of lightning struck behind the clouds, lighting them up brilliant silver on the dark grey clouds. "Depends on your definition, I guess," Brendan laughed and smiled down at me. I smiled back.

"Are Cold Ones vampires?" I asked Brendan. He looked startled at this question but nodded cautiously. "Oh, okay; I was wondering if my friend got the definition wrong." I said and smiled back at him. I liked having blue eyes; they clashed splendidly with Brendan's green eyes! "You're looking great today, Nikki," Collin said from behind Brendan. I giggled. "Why, thank you, Collin." I said and gave a bow. "Oh, Nikki, this is Kim and Trisha," Brendan said and gestured to a pair of girls. I smiled at them. "Hi, I'm Nikki," I said and offered my hand to them in general. Kim smiled and shook my hand. "It's great to finally meet you; Brendan's been bragging about you all morning." Kim giggled. I smiled. I liked being bragged about; it gave me something to be proud of. Trisha smiled and nodded. Both girls were beautiful but different. Trisha had tan skin just like Kim but her hair was only a shade darker than her skin and was beautifully rich. She had a pair of jeans and a striped sweater on with a light jacket. Kim was different. She had tan skin but her hair was pitch black and shining a brilliant grey color ever time the light caught onto it. It truly was unique and beautiful. Both girls had dark eyes unlike me. My eyes were piercing blue and I was proud of them.

Collin was actually wear jeans and a grey T-shirt today but no jacket and only a pair of flip flops. I smiled at him. Jared was by Kim's side and Danny was by Trisha's, each of them holding protective arms around their girlfriends' waists. Kim was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt with a light jacket. I noticed that Collin was separate from the crowd. "Collin, you don't have a girlfriend?" I asked. Collin frowned and shrugged. Brendan chuckled triumphantly. I guess I got him back for something. "Nope, he doesn't," Brendan chuckled and wrapped an arm around my waist. I liked it. It was warm and toasty, much like how Micah's fur had felt yesterday. If he wanted to be protective then that was alright. I checked my watch on my wrist and frowned. "I have to go get my schedule," I said before turning to Brendan and smiled. "Do you mind if I kiss you before I leave? It's been nagging me all this time." I giggled. Brendan seemed shocked so I took the chance and kissed him. It may have been by surprise but that didn't stop him from kissing back. I have to admit; it was very, very nice.

I pulled away and smiled. "Alright, now I've got to go get my schedule. But I'll see you in some of my classes or maybe even in lunch!" I said excitedly. "See ya," I said and waved.

I left quickly and rushed to the office to be on time. I have to say that if I had things my way, I wouldn't have had to separate that kiss from Brendan. But I had school to work on! But I'm good at school. I quickly got my schedule and left to find my first class. Brendan was waiting for me outside of the office. I grinned at him. "Happy to see ya," I said and rocked on the balls of my feet with my hands clasped behind my back. Brendan chuckled and moved forward. I liked this kiss most. I liked it because I didn't have to ask him.

=X=X=X=

"Okay; so you two know each other for two days and you're already going out?" Collin scoffed in disbelief. I rolled my eyes and nodded. This was about the sixteenth time he'd asked. I'm not exaggerating. "Monkeys mate upon first glance," I said with a shrug. "You're not a monkey," Collin pointed out. "Yet there's a theory that we evolved from apes which is in the family of monkeys and therefore we have some habits that are alike to monkeys!" I pointed out proudly. The entire table laughed at that. "What'd you do yesterday?" Brendan asked curiously. "I just hung out with my friend in the woods. I was very happy!" I said and smiled up at Brendan. Did I ever plan to tell him? Well, it would become inevitable at some point so maybe.

I was still debating. "Why'd you ask about the Cold Ones this morning?" Danny asked curiously as Brendan began to play with a strand of my hair. I smiled at him. "My friend heard about an animal that got hurt by a Cold One or so they say. The front leg was snapped clean in half." I said and broke my breadstick for emphasis. But the breadstick was much more appetizing than how that leg felt yesterday. "Why would a vampire do that?" Trisha snorted and rolled her eyes. "Well, I heard that some Cold Ones have a rare diet that they only feed off of animals. I think that the Cold One may have been interrupted before she got to feed off of the animal." I said and bit off of my breadstick. The entire table stared at me. "What? I think that it's rather civilized! But it's absolutely implausible," I said. Frankly I was lying but I didn't want them worrying. Quileute natives are very believing of their tales and if the others thought I was getting too involved with such a legend then they would try and stop me from finding her.

I dipped my breadstick in the cup of marinara as others agreed vaguely with me. I rolled my eyes as I ate the breadstick. "Okay, so who do you think would win in a fight; the Hulk or Spiderman?" I asked the table. The table then began to debate against who would win. Frankly, I believe that Spiderman had a fair chance because of his animalistic senses and the spider web that he could ultimately spin to protect himself along with the defense of bounds. In fact, he might even be a fair challenge in bed. That would be interesting. "I believe that Spiderman because of his instincts and webs." I said. "He's got the advantage over the Hulk." I said. Kim agreed but Trisha disagreed, saying Hulk could easily beat him down. "It's simple as this; the more muscle, the more you win." Trisha said and shrugged stubbornly. "It's not that simple; you need wits as well as strength and frankly, the Hulk isn't the smartest person on Earth despite his career." I said.

"Now, do you guys like Kangaroos?" I asked and went on to talk about kangaroos in the way that I do. I have to say this; I wish I could tell them. I wished beyond wished that I could tell them but I couldn't. They wouldn't accept it easily. I would have to hint them into it. I stood up to throw my tray away and smiled down at Brendan before kissing him deeply. "I'm going to class, Hardy," I whispered and grabbed my backpack. "But enjoy your lunch and I hope you guys have a wonderful day!" I called to them.

In class, I looked and stared out the window at the vegetation around the school. I could see some wildlife in there and I could hear all their thoughts buzzing around in my head though it wasn't as hard as usual. Then I heard the slight roar of a mountain lion. I wasn't the only one.

People began to whisper around about the roars and I heard some guys trying to "comfort" the scared girls. I smiled and raised my hand. "Yes, Miss Sawyer?" Mrs. Thomson asked. I stood up and grabbed my stuff. "I need to go to the nurse's office and lay down," I said, smiling at her. She looked suspicious a moment but couldn't exactly shoot it down. I smiled as I skipped out of the room down to the main hall. I exited the school, flinging my bag over my shoulder and running into the vegetation, making sure not to be seen. I ran steeply into the forest before glancing around. "Micah!" I called to the forest. "Micah!" I called again, cupping my hands around my mouth. Then I heard a slight crackle of twigs behind me. I turned around and smiled at my animalistic friend. "What's the emergency?" I asked, smiling at him. Micah was stumbling and looking faint. He stumbled towards me and nudged my legs silently then led me away. I smiled and followed along, trying not to skip as usual. I didn't want to injure him any further by tripping over him.

I heard another roar of a mountain lion but this time it was too far for anyone from the school to have heard and it was much more feminine. The roar died down to a whimper as I came closer to a clearing. A female lioness was lying on the clearing floor and it didn't take much to know what was wrong (or rather what was right; depends on your point of view) with her. I smiled at Micah. "You're going to be a daddy!" I squealed and rushed to the lioness and knelt beside her. "This will be sort of messy, though," I mused. I sighed and reached into my backpack, pulling out the apron I had for home economics class. I pulled it on along with a pair of latex gloves that I keep around for emergencies such as this. I'm not exactly trained in this area of expertise but I know what people like when they have belly aches.

I rubbed the lioness's belly as she whimpered. _Oh, dear Goddess! It hurts so much! _She was screaming in her thoughts. "I'll bet it does, honey," I said to her, giving her a reassuring smile. "But it seems like it'll all be over pretty soon," I assured her and rubbed her belly. She whimpered again and let out another roar as the baby began to move and make its appearance. "I just hope I'll be able to determine the gender before I cut anything," I giggled and looked at Micah. He looked very worried. "Don't worry, Micah; she'll be very alright. Every human woman goes through this even and it does hurt immensely but it will pass." I said. I braced my hands awkwardly at the back of the lioness. "I'll need to press the baby out of your baby," I said. "Because 'push' just seems so cliché," I giggled. I rubbed the lioness's belly and braced one hand on the head of the baby cub. "C'mon, honey," I said. "You're almost there," I assured her.

_Please let the cub be alright! Please let the cub be healthy! _The lioness thought frantically and let out a dying whimper as the baby was finally down to the back legs. "It's alright, honey! It's alright! The cub will be perfectly healthy," I assured the lioness. Now, if you've ever seen a baby kitten ever be born then you know it's not a pretty sight, even though they end up pretty damn cute after you clean them up a bit. I pulled the cub out the final seconds and heard the loud energetic meows of the cub. I grinned down at the cub. "It's a female cub," I assured Micah and the lioness. I reached into my backpack and pulled out the pack of Wet Wipes. You won't believe how constantly prepared I am all the time. I began to clean the kitten to the echoing meows of the newborn. I rubbed the lioness's belly again and smiled at her.

_Who are you? _The lioness asked curiously. I shrugged. "My name's Nikki," I said and continued to clean the cub. By the time I was done it was a beautiful tan mountain cub. She had large ginger brown eyes and meowed at me. I giggled and hugged the cub close. "She's adorable," I said to Micah. "What's your name?" I asked the lioness. _My name is Song. _The lioness thought to me. I smiled. "Well, Micah, Song, say hello to your new baby girl." I said and set the cub on the forest floor. It was adorable how she scrambled to her legs and tried to stand.

But what was better were her thoughts. I got to hear the thoughts of a newborn cub. _This place is so odd. What's that color? It's very odd. It's strange! But I like it! _The cub thought. I giggled. "She's quite adventurous." I giggled at the pair of mountain lions. Micah relaxed his head to me in a bow yet again. "No need, no need," I assured him as I stood up and looked down at myself. Thankfully no blood had gotten on my clothes and only the apron and gloves. I pulled the gloves off and tossed them to the side. "Don't eat those," I joked as I pulled my apron overhead and sighed as I ran my now-soft hands through my hair. I rolled up the apron and tucked it away in my backpack. "If I ever wear that again, I'll look like a butcher-shop murderer." I giggled to myself. Micah gave a small kitten snicker and began to back off with Song and the cub close by. "What are you going to name her?" I asked softly before they could walk off. Micah seemed to almost smile at this question. _Nicole…_

I made my way back to the school and grinned as I entered the school just as the final bell rang. Damn it! I had skipped my final hours of school. Brendan glanced around for me before I skipped over to him. "Hi ya, Brendan," I giggled as I reached up to kiss him. In the whole day this was my favorite part. He wrinkled his nose at me and looked confused. "You smell like blood," He said, sounding confused. I blinked. How was I supposed to answer that? "I cut myself on something." I answered with a shrug. Brendan shrugged and kissed me again before leading me outside to his group of friends. I giggled but shook my head. "I have to start heading home." I said and wrapped my arms around his neck before kissing his lips. "Are you sure?" Brendan mumbled against my lips. I nodded and backed away. I gave a brief salute before skipping off down the road.

As soon as I got home I rushed to the washer and shoved my apron in there. I then began to strip and headed up to the shower. I scrubbed myself thoroughly before exiting and faced my mirror. How did he smell it when I hadn't had it on me? I blinked at the mirror and sighed. "Nicole, we're home!" Mom called from downstairs accompanied by a squeal. I smiled but I missed the meows of Nicole. I had only heard her a few seconds and yet she had this hold on me. I shrugged and got dressed into a pair of pajama bottoms along with a black tank top. Yay for Nicole the cub!

_A/N: I know. It's crappy but still! I love it because it's sweet. And she's not random all the time. _


	3. On the test

_A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. This is that new update that I promised and I will keep updating as much as possible. _

Nikki Ann PoV:

Days passed with Brendan and the others at my side, each day passing with one random conversation after another. I constantly found these topics on my mind and I had decided to share them with my friends. I liked that I could talk about what was on my mind with my friends but I couldn't talk about everything with them. Kim and Trisha had become my two girly friends and the others were practically one with my mind. Brendan…he was the best. I really did believe in love at first sight and my eyes had chosen a rather good choice.

Eventually it was Friday and we had to leave for the weekend on my first week of school. I had changed into something rather acceptable; a red pilgrim shirt with a white pilgrim skirt. I wore the same brown flat-soled boots as usual and my grey trench coat on the outside just for warmth. The skirt reached mid-thigh and flushed out partially. It was freeing to me. I liked it.

"You are looking charming this evening, Nikki Ann." Collin complimented, as he usually does. He does this just to annoy Brendan and from what I hear they usually fight about these comments. I've never seen them actually fight though. I think it might be interesting. "Thank you, Collin." I said as I reached out to grab onto Brendan's hand. As usual his hand was overly warm and the heat remained flushed against my palm, the best glove there is. This week I'd had fun in the forests, playing with Nicole, Micah and Song. They had become regular visitors to my side of the forest and Nicole was showing signs of growing.

I glanced over my friends again. Kim was with Jared, Trisha with Danny and I was with Brendan. Collin was alone again. This was becoming kind of sad. But then again, I didn't really have any human friends that I could set him up with. I had the Gang and then I had my animal friends. I doubted that Collin wanted to date a songbird unless he was just that kinky. Hmm…

"What're you thinking 'bout, Nix?" Brendan broke through my thoughts as he carefully swiped a lock of hair from my face. I smiled at him. "I'm wondering who I could set Collin up with." I said. Brendan chuckled as Collin cocked an eyebrow. "Collin's hard-headed; I pity the girl you come up with." Brendan joked. I rolled my eyes as I swung Brendan's arm around so that it was around my waist. I liked the feeling of his hand against my waist, the warmth seeping through the red cloth of my shirt. "I doubt that Collin's that bad. I mean, I can't really come up with anyone because I don't really know anyone who's single but…" I trailed off, letting my mind wander. Finally I slapped my fist into my palm, surprising everyone. "That's it! I will find someone for you!" I announced, pointing a finger at Collin. He was definitely surprised.

When Collin regained his composure Kim was giggling and Trisha was smirking. "Thanks but no thanks." Collin said, waving a hand in my direction. I frowned at him and shook my head. "I will not take no for an answer. I just have to find someone who's utterly compatible with you." I said with a shrug. In my mind, it was pretty easy. If I could find the right person then there would be no missing link. I could practically see the bleeping arrow and dotted outline of the person that Collin was missing. I would find her.

=X=X=X=

This mission was easier said than done. I knew nothing about Collin truthfully and I had nothing to base the survey on. I had a blank sheet of paper, ready to write down the questions and yet I had no questions to ask because I didn't know the answers that Collin would give. I had to ask him at lunch so as I waited I returned my eyes out the window. The vegetation was generous and mossy, grown to a full dark bloom. The shadows that showed behind the deep crevices between the trees were eerie and yet inviting. I was tempted to leave and go explore the vast outreaches of the trees but something held me back just this once. I was not going to go into that forest right now.

When the bell rang, signaling lunchtime, I was eager to go and ask the questions that nagged at my mind. The others were already at the table when I got to it with my lunch and the piece of paper caught in hand. "Alright, I need to take a survey on you." I announced to Collin as I settled beside Brendan and poised my pen on the front row of the paper. Collin cocked an eyebrow before smirking. "What about?" He asked. I rolled my eyes. "So that I can find the perfect match, duh," I answered as I wrote down the first question. Collin sighed before rolling his eyes. Then we started.

_Favorite animal: Gecko_

_Favorite Song: "Like a G6" (Far East Movement)_

_Favorite food: ice cream_

_Favorite movie: Mega-mind_

_Favorite comic book: does Playboy count?_

_What you could not live without: food_

_Favorite place to be: First Beach_

_A deep secret: well, if I told you it wouldn't be a secret, would it now?_

_What would you do with a million dollars: Games, Playboy, ice cream, stripper_

_Are you a pig: Proud to be one_

_If I called you a man-whore right now you would say…: Proud, proud, proud!_

_I think we're done now; find me a new girlfriend._

I have to admit that this list was pretty comical near the end. I chose those questions because they seemed to fit the previous answers. I wondered how girls would react to these questions; this couldn't mean that Collin was gay, could it? I mean, most of these answers were meant for guys and that would be quite…hmm…

Kim and Trish were still giggling while Seth was rolling on the floor in laughter. Brendan's hefty chuckle made him vibrate from his stance beside me with his arm around my waist. Collin seemed completely unfazed. "Fine; once I ask the girls in my classes, I will know who your soul mate is." I said with a smug smile. Collin cocked his eyebrow again. I rolled my eyes before looking down at my answers again. Eventually I decided to eat and folded up the paper, shoving it in my back pocket before digging into my Mac & Cheese. I really like Mac & Cheese.

"I wonder how I'll get a girl to admit to getting a stripper with a million dollars…" I mused aloud, causing Seth to roll in a new bout of laughter. "At least I hope it's a girl." I finally muttered my thoughts aloud before turning to Collin. "Have you had any strange attraction to men lately?" I asked. Collin blanched at this question, completely caught off guard. Seth kept on rolling in his laughter. I suppose we really were quite comical. "Are you calling me gay?" Collin snapped at me. I shrugged. "Those questions are based off of previous answers and the wording indicates a guy so…" I explained. "Those questions were your choice, not mine." He retorted. I rolled my eyes but left it.

Eventually I finished my Mac & Cheese and never wanted to eat it again. It didn't have near enough cheese on it.

=X=X=X=

Girl #1:

_Favorite animal: cheetah_

_Favorite Song: "First Kiss" (3Oh!3)_

_Favorite Food: chicken_

_Favorite movie: the Wedding Planner_

_Favorite comic book: Cat-woman_

_What you could not live without: my cell phone_

_Favorite place to be: the mall_

_A deep secret: I farted at Mary's sleepover and blamed it on her cat._

_What would you do with a million dollars: chain of malls (to help those in need of a makeover)_

_Are you a pig: No! Wait, why would you think that?_

_If I called you a man-whore right now you would say…: Look! I'm sorry if I sounded superficial but!_

_I think we're done now: NO! WAIT!_

Kim sighed and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Girls like her give us a bad name. Who even did this survey?" Kim questioned. I frowned at her. "I didn't bother to hear her name because I didn't find any of her answers matching Collin's. But I think she's kind of sweet. She did apologize for being superficial." I reminded Kim who only rolled her eyes again. "The boys will get a riot out of this as soon as we show them." Trisha giggled as she leaned back in her desk seat. I had fourth hour with both of them and for that I was grateful.

"Let's just get onto girl number 2." Kim sighed as she crossed her arms in exasperation. I sighed myself but nodded nonetheless.

Girl #2: Lucy Crumb

_Favorite animal: lizard_

_Favorite Song: Down to Earth (Justin Bieber)_

_Favorite Food: rice_

_Favorite movie: According to Greta_

_Favorite comic book: Spiderman_

_What you could not live without: my heart_

_Favorite place to be: the beach_

_A deep secret: hmm…_

_What would you do with a million dollars: take over the world _

_Are you a pig: I wonder that sometimes too._

_If I called you a man-whore right now you would say…: I'm not exactly a guy. Do you need proof?_

_I think we're done now: Okey-doke. _

"Not a perfect match but I guess she's cool." Kim muttered. I suspected she was tired of not being around Jared. Those two couldn't breathe without the other. "They're a perfect match!" Trisha exclaimed, seemingly ignorant to what Kim had just said. I grinned at Trisha, noting for future reference that she was definitely a girly girl. I suppose that not everyone is matched with their perfect match; Danny didn't seem very girly. "I know what you mean but I took other surveys so that I might find the perfect match. I'm still taking surveys so…" I trailed off and shrugged. Kim rolled her eyes again and I noted that she wasn't herself when she was without Jared. She was more exasperating.

Girl #3: Farah Jane

_Favorite animal: eagle (they're bold)_

_Favorite Song: Follow Me Down (3Oh!3)_

_Favorite Food: banana split sundae_

_Favorite movie: Pirates of the Caribbean 3_

_Favorite comic book: does "Mad" magazine count?_

_What you could not live without: jeans_

_Favorite place to be: the forest_

_A deep secret: I secretly love demons more than angels_

_What would you do with a million dollars: get a million tattoos_

_Are you a pig: I don't know; what do you think?_

_If I called you a man-whore right now you would say…: Nope; just a regular whore._

_I think we're done now: I think so too._

Trisha was laughing too hard to comment while Kim was laughing just as hard. "This girl seems like a Satan-follower." I observed with my brow furrowed. This only refreshed a new bout of laughter. I shrugged to myself as I looked over it. "She's got the food correct and she also didn't exactly name a comic book when I asked…" I observed. "They're still not a perfect match and Collin might kill you for trying to set him up with a Satan follower." Kim rasped as she swiped some laugh-tears from her eyes. I glanced back at the girl who I'd taken the survey from.

The girl, Farah, was sitting at her desk, reading over a novel; _Everlasting Corrections. _I grimaced. I'd read that novel before and it had nothing but extreme gore and horror. Though I usually liked this genre, Collin would most likely not. The girl had thick black hair down to her waist and her skin was faded into a sheet white. Her eyes were rimmed with black mascara and eyeliner, rimming a set of hazel eyes. She wore a black tank top and a pair of khaki cargo pants with a set of high tops. Her neck was straddled by a thin leather black choker with a red/brown feather dangling in the center of her collarbone. She seemed like my kind of girl. I liked her.

I finally pointed at Farah. Kim and Trisha looked to where I was pointing. "I want her with him." I said selfishly as I sat up straight in my seat. Kim burst into a fresh bout of laughter whereas Trisha looked serious. "Are you positive that you want to set Collin up with someone that you only think you want to be friends with?" Trisha questioned, hitting it straight on the mark. I frowned at her and shrugged. "I don't know; I think we could have the occasional affair together if we ever decided to give one of our boyfriends a good birthday present." I said blankly. Again, Kim burst into laughter again whereas Trisha looked a bit disgusted.

Before Trisha could protest again I stood up and headed in her direction. I sat beside her, just staring for a moment and imagining her beside Collin. Yes, I liked that picture. My gut was telling me to send her on over to Collin and let fate take its course. I would do just that! After a few moments Farah glanced up, not moving her head from the direction of the book and only giving me a side-glance. "What?" She asked suspiciously as she eyed me. I frowned at this. "I want to set you up with one of my friends." I told her. She frowned at me but shut her book and gave me her full attention. Her lips formed only one-worded questions it seemed. "Why?" She asked.

"I took that survey to see who would be hard-headed enough to be able to take on Collin Reeve and actually make it to the first date without being absolutely appalled with him." I admitted honestly. I don't believe that the girly girls would be honestly appealed to Collin's sense of…humor. He was a straight-out flirt and liked to bug people. Farah smirked at this answer and gave me a once-over. I waited for her to ask a question or respond in any way. "Collin?" She confirmed with a cocked eyebrow. I nodded simply. There was no other way to answer that.

"And you think that I would be a 'good match' with your 'friend'?" Farah questioned. Oh, my Jesus! She spoke more than one word! "Yep," I answered with a proud smile. Farah narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What's in it for me?" She asked. I cocked an eyebrow at her this time. "Well, Collin's a good guy once you get around the whole flirting issue and I think you would be the type of person to set him straight." I said. "You would get him as a boyfriend and a damn good one at that." I said. Farah rolled her eyes and snapped her book open again. "Nope."

I blanched at this. "What do you mean?" I asked. Farah glanced up from her book to me and shook her head slowly. "I will not date Collin Reeve." She explained as though to a child. I blinked at the girl. "But Collin's a great guy and I don't understand why…" I admitted to the girl. But if you must know the truth; I liked her. I really liked her. This girl had balls (even if not physically). She had told me something I hadn't heard in a while; no. "I don't see the point." Farah said to me. I frowned at her, furrowing my brow in confusion. "In Collin?" I confirmed. She shook her head. "No, in dating," She answered explicitly. I frowned even steeper. "The point in dating is to find your soul mate and life partner and to test relations with a boy or man to see if you two are compatible and will produce a great family and if you have an acceptable companionship." I explained to her. Farah shrugged. "I don't want a life partner; thanks but no thanks." She responded stubbornly. I was frustrated but only a bit.

"There's a theory that souls once had two faces, four arms, four legs but Thor was threatened by them and so split them in half. Without your other half, you'll never know what it feels like to be whole! Isn't that what you want?" I stated. Farah shook her head. "I'm fine with being only a half." She retorted. I blinked again at her. "But what about Collin if you two are soul mates? That's not fair to him, to only be half of what he's meant to be!" I exclaimed. Farah cocked her right eyebrow again, questioning me. "I will not date him because I see no point in having a life partner. I find that it is utterly useless to be burdened with another." Farah reasoned with me. I gawked at this girl. "What about friends? Their lives depend on you too!" I reminded her. "I don't have any friends either. They are just as pointless." She muttered as she retreated her eyes.

Now Farah's full attention was to her book. I was confused as to why she even turned to me in the first place if she saw it so pointless. "But…" I started but that was it. I couldn't think of any other way to reason with this stubborn girl! If the bell hadn't rung at that time I would have tried again with the same logic. But the bell did ring. And Farah left me, stunned in my seat as she walked out the door as if she hadn't crushed my whole hope of having Collin find his soul mate vicariously through me. I could only stare now, still seeing her in that spot, so cold and so…she shrugged me off. She had merely shrugged me off. So cold…she was so cold…

"Um, Nikki…?" Kim's voice barely registered as I thought over Farah's and my conversation. NO! Collin needed Farah and Farah needed Collin! They were a perfect match despite the survey! They were the perfect match, just like Brendan and I are, like Kim and Jared, like Trisha and Danny…Farah and Collin were perfect together. I was left, only gawking at the spot where Farah had sat and now registering our conversation. I tried to think of where I had gone wrong. How could she think that life was fulfilled with only one half of what she was meant to be, to have?

"Nikki," Brendan's husky voice was what brought me back to reality. I blinked out of my memory of Farah's and my conversation. I hadn't exactly registered that Brendan and Collin had gotten here. "So…" Collin said with a small smirk. "Did you find my 'soul mate'?" He chuckled. I blinked as I glanced back to where Farah was sitting. "Yep," I answered as I sat up straight in my seat. I had a new mission. I would persuade Farah into going out with Collin. "And she will be persuaded," I stated aloud, to add to the motivation.

Brendan furrowed his brow at me, obviously concerned. "What?" I asked him as I registered that he was knelt beside me, his face level to mine despite that I was sitting down and he was kneeling on the floor. I lifted my chin, reaching forward and brushing a small lock of his black hair from his forehead. He was so beautiful… "What were you thinking about?" He asked and glanced to where I had been staring, at Farah's seat. "Farah didn't want to go on a date with Collin." I muttered in a pout. "Farah?" Brendan questioned. I frowned at him. "Collin's soul mate; I know that they're a perfect match!" I exclaimed exasperatedly. That girl really would be the death of me.

=X=X=X=

_ROAR!_

I giggled as Nicole's "roars" only came out as small meows. She was attempting to imitate her parents as I watched her. Song had taken Micah on his first hunt since he had broken his leg. I was entrusted with the baby cub so that I could reason with any animal that dared to try and screw with her. I wouldn't let a single animal get near her if they posed a threat. I reached forward, scratching behind her ears and listening to her purr.

_Nicola, that is not helping my roar! I want to roar! _Nicole thought towards me with a feeble meow. I chuckled lightly to myself, withdrawing my hand and holding it up in surrender. Nicole stood on all fours, her fur bristling as she attempted to roar. But all that was released from her muzzle was a feeble meow that could never hold any danger in it. Nicole was adventurous, pure. She was just a mere cub, only up to my ankles in height. In width, she was barely the size of my fist. But she was growing; gradually but she was still growing.

_Try roaring, Nicola! Try it! _Nicole urged me as she looked back towards me with her soft ginger eyes, shrouded in a mass of tan fur. "I don't roar. I'm human; we just kind of laugh maniacally. It's much creepier." I joked to Nicole. And here it was; the mountain cub version of puppy dog eyes. I could never resist her puppy dog eyes. "Alright," I sighed as I opened my mouth. I was trying to remember how to roar. I couldn't very well roar like a mountain lion. I was interrupted, however, by the crackling of twigs behind me. I flashed to my feet, instantly guarding Nicole from the attack line of any predator.

When I saw no one where I had seen, I swept Nicole up into my arms, nuzzling her deep into my chest. Nicole struggled beneath my arms for a little before I shushed her. Another wave of snapping twigs came from the opposite direction of where I'd heard it before. Was it fast or were there more than one? I shivered against the frigid night air. I whirled to face the snapping of twigs. This time, however, I was greeted by what had snapped the twigs. Or rather who.

_A/N: I'm sorry to leave you with a cliff-hanger but I needed to do this. I'm going to start working on the next chapter as soon as I post this. _


	4. New information

_AN.: I don't own Twilight but I do own some of the characters. I don't care if you use them in your stories but…I don't know. I would just like a review saying that you're gonna use them in your story so I could read that story. I love people who use my characters. They're so freaking awesome. I still dedicate this to MadtotheBone1 and I always will. You are still my most faithful reader and my most faithful friend (on fan-fiction)._

Nikki Ann PoV:

I blinked as I stared ahead. A woman stood before me, seemingly no older than eighteen. Her long hair was a mane of mahogany, her skin icy white and even tinted a speck blue. Her eyes were leaked from a topaz to a deeper color, almost black. The woman wore a pair of torn jeans along with a gray t-shirt, fallen to the side to reveal a black bra strap. On her feet were a pair of black tennis shoes and yet she still gave the aura of a model. I knew; I just knew somehow that she was that Cold One. She fit the description perfectly from what Micah had told me.

The Cold One's stance was rigid, prepared to attack and yet she held back. She probably barely registered that I was human. She probably barely registered that I was not the animal that she would eat. "This is a cub. She's too young for you to eat." I said to the Cold One. I was curious as to why she was here. Had she smelt Nicole's blood or mine? I strained my mind, attempting to read this girl's mind.

The only thing I was rewarded with was an intense headache. I was confused now. I hadn't met someone with such a strong shield, someone who had so much guard around her mind. Abruptly there was a boy, no older than seventeen, at the woman's side. He looked at the woman for a second, his mouth flashing into what I guessed were assuring words. The boy had a tousled head of bronze-colored hair, his skin the same shade of blue-like white. His eyes were barely a shade brighter than the woman's. His eyes still held a tad bit of topaz in them. He wore a pair of new jeans, crisp and untouched, with a white oxford shirt with a Peter Pan collar while his feet were covered in a pair of loafers. He was a Cold One as well.

The second I realized this fact, the boy went rigid, his mouth stopping from saying words to what I supposed was his mate. He glanced in my direction, confused. He was a mind-reader as well. Shock flashed across his features but so brief I barely registered it. I finally decided to delve into his mind. His mind was nowhere near as guarded as this woman's.

_Who is this girl? How does she know so much about us? Had that only been a guess? Was she from the reservation? She used the term 'Cold One'. I can barely hear her thoughts now. Why is she…how did she know that Bella and I drink animal blood? _The boy's thoughts were frantic, going at a speed I could barely catch and only adding to my intense headache. I quit focusing on his mind and blinked into the reality before me. "I apologize; my name is Nikki Ann." I said as I shifted Nicole's struggling state in my arms. I realized again that she was in my arms and I glanced down. The boy seemed reluctant before he managed his features. He decided on a cover. This was fine with me.

"I'm Edward and this is my girlfriend, Bella. We were just out hunting but we lost our equipment. Bella was a bit angry that we managed to lose it." The boy said. He lied so perfectly I almost believed him. I suppose I didn't care whether he told me the truth or no. "Yeah, well, this cub's too young for you to hunt. I found it and decided to hold it for a while; to keep it from predators." I lied. I was nowhere near as perfect at lying as this Edward character was.

Edward offered a feeble, strained smile and nodded his false understanding. He was obviously still curious about me, about as much as I was for him. But it would be dangerous. Edward ushered Bella the opposite direction and they began to fade out. I suppose I had to tell them. I was not good at keeping what was on my mind away from those around me. "The animals fear you." I called after the pair. Nicole looked up at me with her wide ginger eyes.

_Who are these people? Why will you not tell them that you understand me? Why can I not play with them? _"No!" I cried out instantly upon hearing Nicole's thoughts. I looked down at Nicole, instantly frantic as to keep her away from Edward and Bella. Though I approved of their diet I couldn't approve of them 'playing' with Nicole. I noted that Edward and Bella were watching from their stance between the trees, confused as to why I'd spoken, as to how I knew that the animals feared them. I looked up at Bella and Edward, frantic and panicked. I couldn't leave because Micah and Song were meant to come back to get Nicole. I furrowed my brow in concern.

"Why do you refer to these mountain lions as 'Micah' and 'Song'?" Edward inferred, confused upon my thoughts.

I blinked at Edward, deciding between whether I should tell them or no. It was dangerous to interfere with their trends however it was curiosity that would no doubt kill me. "Those are their names." I answered simply. Edward furrowed his brow in curiosity however he decided to leave it be. Nicole struggled in my arms again and I glanced down at her. When she grew fully would she end up an energy source for Edward and Bella? I frowned at this thought, instantly depressed upon that. "It was nice meeting you, Nikki." Edward called to me as he and Bella faded into the distance. Once they were gone I admittedly collapsed onto the forest floor, Nicole still buried close to me despite her struggling.

I finally let Nicole loose when I felt that I would soon smother her if I didn't. Nicole looked up, her eyes curious and searching. _What were they? Were they not human? Why can I not play with them? _Nicole thought to me. I frowned at her and shook my head. "No, you can't play with them, Nicole. They are dangerous beings. You can never play with one of their kind." I warned Nicole. She tilted her head in curiosity. Knowing the cub's mind, she probably set this out as a goal, a mission in mind. _Why are you sad, Nicola? _Nicole questioned to me. I sniffed away the threatening tears and shook my head at her, placing on a false smile. "I'm just worried for you. Those beings are very dangerous and you can't go anywhere near them." I said. "If you ever see them, run." I instructed Nicole.

Nicole seemed to have ADD seeing as she agreed quickly and set back to imitating her parents, attempting at roaring. I watched Nicole until her parents came and by then I had made a decision. I turned to the parents, my lion friends. Micah tilted his head to me in curiosity. I was nowhere near as good at lying as Edward was. "You need to migrate." I insisted to Micah. He blinked at me in shock, his head picking up in his full attention.

_Why would we need to migrate? What occurred while we were gone? _Micah demanded. I frowned at him and shook my head. "The Cold One that you talked about. She and her mate returned however I turned them away." I explained. Nicole was now jumping at a grasshopper she had found and attacking it feebly, attempting to catch it between her paws. Micah's eyes hardened, his thoughts now broken. _That means that this land is far too dangerous for us. We really should migrate to a new territory. It would mean safer grounds. We should have migrated already…Nicole was in danger, Song was in danger. I had put them in danger. _Micah thought frantically. I shook my head and leaned forward, running my hand over the thinking mountain lion. "You didn't know they'd return, Micah. You just need to migrate in order to keep yourselves safe. I'm pretty sure that the Cold Ones won't be happy about this but…you need to be safe." I told Micah. He frowned at me but nodded.

=X=X=X=

Nick's squeal echoed through the house when I returned yet again, my clothes stained with dirt from being on the ground and playing with Nicole. I'd told them what I'd figured out too late. I should have told them to migrate as soon as I heard how Micah had gotten his injury. I just hadn't noted that they were local, that they would remain a danger to them. I hadn't even been as close to them as I am now. Now they had to leave when I'd already gotten so attached. But I was surprised, happily surprised, when I entered the living room. My mom and dad were on the couch while Nick was on the play mat. But Nick wasn't alone; Brendan was lying down, flat on his stomach as he played with the Fisher Price train we'd gotten for Nick.

Brendan looked up when he sensed my presence and furrowed his brow as he noted the dirt on my skirt. I only shrugged and grinned at Brendan. I only had to look at the bright side of things; Micah, Song and Nicole would be safe and Brendan was here! With my parents… "What did they tell you?" I asked as I sat beside Brendan on the play mat. He rolled his eyes but leaned over and pecked me on the lips in a brief kiss. "We told him all of your embarrassing secrets and stories," Mom joked kiddingly as she rolled her eyes. I cocked an eyebrow at my mom. Brendan, however, seemed a bit concerned by now. His eyes hardened as he took a sniff of the air.

"What is it?" I asked. Brendan wrinkled his nose at me. "Where were you?" Brendan asked rather than answered me. I frowned at him. He had the best sense of smell in the world. "I was hanging out in the forest." I answered him. Brendan blinked at my honesty. "Why were you out there?" he asked. I frowned even more at him. "I agree, Nicola. Why were you out in the forest?" Dad asked from his seat. I rolled my eyes at my dad. "I like to go there, thank you very much." I answered, encouraged by my dad's authoritative tone. Dad rolled his eyes while Brendan didn't seem to like it. "Did you…come across anybody?" Brendan asked, his voice bristling. I blinked at him. Could he smell Edward and Bella?

Cold Ones had to have a distinctive smell and with Brendan being a Quileute he had to have a clue as to what that aroma would smell like. "No," I answered, furrowing my brow. "I don't think so." I lied. I stood up from where I was. "I'm going to take a shower and change real quick." I told him. "Please do; you stink," Mom joked to me. I stuck my tongue out at her as I headed to the stairs. I pulled off my boots and tossed them onto my messy bed before stripping off my clothes and grabbing my towel.

When I was finished with my shower and dressed into a set of black flannel pajamas, full with button-down shirt and all, I headed down the stairs to greet Brendan, my hair still wet from my shower. Brendan was still toying around with Nick's toys, complete with sound affects and all. "So, what's up?" I asked as I came up behind Brendan and strung my arms around his neck from behind. My arms formed a V with my chin set on top of his head. Brendan released my hands from their clasp and held onto them. "I can't come by to visit? This is the first time that I've seen your home, after all." He chuckled as he tugged. That simple tug somehow brought me down onto his lap.

I hadn't even realized that Brendan had shifted into a cross-legged position until now. His tone turned serious as he spoke again. "Honestly, did you see anyone out in the forest?" Brendan asked. I frowned at Brendan, my arms still strung around his neck. I toyed with the lapel on his t-shirt as I contemplated my answer. He took my silence as a yes. "Who'd you see out there?" He asked. I rolled my eyes at him and shook my head. "It was just a couple of hunters who lost their equipment." I answered with a shrug. It wasn't a lie. It was just the cover that they had told me. If I was normal, I'd have believed it.

Brendan sighed, knowing he wouldn't get any answers out of me. "What were you doing out in the forest in the first place?" He pressed. I rolled my eyes and sighed. "It's where I like to think." I answered. I was a crap liar. I sighed as I registered Brendan's exasperated expression. "So, I found Collin's soul mate. But Farah Jane does not believe in dating. She said she 'sees no point' in dating or in having friends. We have to change her mind!" I exclaimed. Nick looked up at me, curious. His hair was a mottle of black curls, his eyes a fresh shade of luminescent green. His cheeks were red from playing and crying. He wore a black and white striped baby one-piece. He looked like he was in jail; I guess that might be the point.

Brendan chuckled at the subject and rolled his eyes but changed the subject. He leaned into my ear quietly and whispered to me. "Actually, speaking of dating…" He breathed into my ear, causing me to shudder. Oh, trust me; I shuddered in a good way. "We haven't been on an official date yet. I was just thinking…tomorrow night? I'll pick you up around seven and we can go to a movie or something in Port Angeles." He offered. I grinned at the thought and nodded. That was when my dad walked in. "Ah! Hey, not in front of the kid! Hey, not in front of anyone! Ever!" My dad cried out in a frantic voice. Nick found this amusing as he giggled and clapped his clumsy hands, thinking it was a show.

I laughed along with Nick and shook my head in disbelief. "I guess we'll have to do this in private then." I retorted. Dad's eyes went wide as saucers. And that was when Brendan was kicked out.

Edward PoV:

I watched as the dogs walked in one by one. Only four of them came tonight, of course, including Jacob. I was depressed as I watched Renesmee run up to Jacob and throw her arms around his neck before kissing the despicable mutt. I released a growl as Jacob's face abruptly twisted into one of disdain. "She just told me that you were 'jealous'. She thinks you're gay and having an affair with me." Jacob retorted to my growl. I also turned my face into disgust and distaste. That was the foulest thought my daughter would ever have.

But my mind was quickly retracted from that train of thought when I overheard Brendan's train of thought. "Who's that girl in your thoughts?" I asked him. He had just thought of the girl that Bella and I had come across in the forest. Brendan looked at me in suspicion. He usually trusted me. "Nikki's my imprint." He answered me finally. I suspected as much with his distrust. The dogs were overly protective of their imprints but I suppose this was acceptable. Still, it was surprising to find that the very girl we'd come across in the neutral zone between our land and the reservation had been Brendan's imprint. Then he seemed to realize something. It clicked in his mind that we had to have been the ones that came across her and left our scent on her. He had smelt vampire on her earlier and had been suspicious.

"Did you inform her of us?" I asked Brendan. He furrowed his brow at this and shook his head. "I haven't told her yet. I was planning on waiting for a couple of weeks at least." Brendan told me. I frowned at this. "Your imprint is already aware of our situation." I informed him. He blinked at me, instantly confused as to how his beloved Nikki had known about us. "I overheard her mind and it was…suspicious to say the least. Her knowledge of us isn't anywhere near what was most interesting about her." I informed him. He narrowed his eyes in more suspicion. This was fragile territory; I had to be cautious.

"Her mind was foggy at a part when Bella and I came across her. For a moment it was clear but when her concentration narrowed on me, it became unfocused and undecipherable." I theorized to Brendan. He blinked at me, confused as to what this meant. I sighed as I had to explain. Now everyone's attention was given to our conversation, on the information. "I believe that your imprint, Nikki Ann, is a mind-reader." I stated calmly.

There wasn't a breath in our house at that very moment; everyone had been shocked at this theory. Jacob was the one to speak. "How did you come to this conclusion?" He asked me. I frowned at him. "Her mind was hazy, as I said, and a part of her was completely indecipherable as though I was only hearing half of her mind. I suspect that the other half of her mind is her mind-reading part as I suspect mine is." I explained to him. Everyone was silent, processing this for a beat, before Brendan regained his composure. "Wait, you said that she concentrated on you. But you don't have to concentrate on people to hear their thoughts, just to sift through the thoughts. Does that mean that her ability is different from yours?" Brendan asked. All eyes turned to hear my answer, to give me their full attention.

I processed this bit, thinking. Perhaps her ability was… "I believe she can hear the thoughts of animals as I can hear the thoughts of humans." I realized. "What do you mean?" Brendan asked. "I can hear a person's thoughts as they pass by but I must concentrate on an animal that has a conscious thought, like with the wolves. However it seems to be in reverse with Nikki Ann. She must be able to hear the bypassing thought of an animal but must concentrate on that of a human or one of our kinds." I theorized. This was a curious find. Brendan was still processing this as he swayed on his feet. Collin laughed as he steadied his friend. "Don't faint on us just yet, kid." Collin laughed.

"Explain what had happened, Edward." Jacob suggested for once. He hadn't actually demanded it but seeing as this had to do with an imprint it was wise to approach the subject cautiously. I nodded my approval to such a suggestion. "Bella and I went off hunting when I suppose Bella smelt the blood of a human. She ran off and I followed but thankfully Bella is strong and stopped before she could attack. The girl was…strange, though. Instead of concern for her own safety despite her knowledge of what we are, she believed we were after a mountain lion cub." I chuckled as I relived the experience. "She referred to the cub as 'Nicole' and I suppose she was attempting to protect it. She said that the cub was 'too young' to eat. In her mind she also referred to the parents of the cub as 'Micah' and 'Song'. She thought of them fondly though they were mountain lions, a completely different species. I managed to encounter how she had come to know of these animals however half of what she knew was out of my range. She had first encountered the male mountain lion and fixed a broken leg. This was where she was informed, I assume by the lion's mind, of our existence. Days later she left school early when she heard the roar of a mountain lion and she helped birth the cub that she had been protecting. I assume this is why the parents of the cub had named it 'Nicole'." I explained my findings to the group.

"When Bella and I were about to leave, she told us that the animals feared us. I assume that the cub thought of something she didn't approve of because she snapped and turned to the cub, responding no to a question or statement of the cub." I added. "She feared for the cub's life and thought of it as pure and innocent. She feared that we would feed off of the cub when it was fully grown." I said. Emmett grimaced from his corner, obviously disappointed that he wouldn't have the chance to feed off of the full-grown cub. I then added what I had come to conclude. "I think that reading too many minds or focusing on one mind too hard pains her in her humanity." I said. Brendan's expression contorted in pain at the thought of his beloved imprint in pain. "That must be why she was in the forest when we found her." Collin said abruptly.

All eyes turned to Collin as he explained his own mental findings. "She was in the forest when we found her and she was surrounded by animals. I guess that's why she passed out; from reading all the minds of those animals." Collin explained to Brendan. Brendan dropped his head into his hands as he heard this. He was devastated by the news that his imprint had been in pain directly in front of him and he'd done nothing.

"You didn't know." I assured Brendan. "She must've told the mountain lions to move. I knew that she looked sad when she came in through the door." Brendan admitted to the rest of us. I frowned at this. She had thought of the safety of a family of mountain lions over her happiness. Carlisle finally spoke from his perch beside me. I frowned at his words as he spoke. "But there's only one thing to decide now." Carlisle said.

"What do we do with this information?"

_AN.: So the Cullens and the wolves know that Nikki Ann is a mind-reader. The next chapter will include Brendan's and Nikki's first date. I don't own Twilight but I do own some of the characters. Wait...didn't I already say this? _


	5. Misery in Secrets

_AN.: I don't own Twilight. _

Brendan PoV:

The morning of my first date with Nikki was when I woke up from a hard sleep in my own bed, confused as to what to do with the information in my head. The others had left it for me to decide. Should I tell her that I know about her ability? Should I wait until I tell her about me? Does she already know about me? It was a Saturday and for once I missed the distraction of school. I had to pick Nikki up at seven if I didn't want to make her mad and possibly break up with me.

Just the thought of Nikki mad at me, much less out of my life, made me sick to my stomach. I felt like I was going to throw up from the thought of her away from me. Despite that I knew about her ability now, she was still the one that I imprinted on. The one I'd fallen in love with. Even without the imprint, I suspected that I'd still fall in love with her. I'd just have less reassurance that this will all work out in the end. She is meant to be with me and no one else. She is my one and only and I am hers.

In fact, the thought of Nikki's ability might have made her even sexier to me as of today. To clear my head or to distract myself (I don't know which) I toppled purposely off of my bed and onto the floor. As I pushed myself up and away from the floor then back down in a single push-up, my wheels began to turn in my head. To withhold this information from her might make Nikki angry. But if I told her about my own furry little secret at the same time she might understand that I know how it feels to be "gifted". Then my mind turned to that cub.

Nikki had given up the cub for its safety, the same cub she had supposedly birthed from the mother. She had given up her own happiness for the cub's safety. I wondered curiously whether she understood that the Cullens had to feed off of animals in order to refrain from feeding off of humans. Knowing Nikki, she did understand. She probably understood more than anyone else. I smirked to myself as I realized that when I was in wolf-form she might be able to hear my thoughts more clearly than she would if I was human. She might be able to understand me, kept as a translator like Edward often is used as.

But I frowned again as I realized the danger in this possibility. Once Sam knows (he most likely already does) he'll want to use Nikki as a translator for vegetarian vampires when they come across the border. He'll want to use her to bargain with them. But the veggie vamps weren't always so controlled and they could attack her because of her human scent. Jasper could attack her. As much as I liked the dude, I would not want to put that at risk. It's been enough risk that Bella and Edward had come across her when they were hunting. Thankfully it'd been Bella instead of Jasper or Emmett. Those two would've mauled her without a second thought if they were in the hunting mood.

Nikki could be in serious danger. If I didn't tell her that I knew about her ability, then the others couldn't use her as a translator because they'd have to respect my wishes. She could be at least a little bit safer than she is now. A drop splattered onto the floor, followed by another and another before my sweat had fully formed a small puddle beneath me. I hadn't realized I'd been going for so strong.

I finally stood up and headed over to the door, grabbing my towel on the way out. "Bren! Breakfast's ready!" Mom called from downstairs. I rolled my eyes as I entered the second floor bathroom. My mom's cooking was disgusting but she was my mom. I had to eat at least a little bit for her benefit. It's when I get to Emily's that I really chow down. I headed to the shower, shutting the door behind me and locking it. Ever since Trisha had walked in on me one morning I've locked the door. I did NOT want my brother's girlfriend looking me over and blushing every freaking time I spoke to her. I swear to God, that month had been horrible. But then again, that'd been before Nikki. I now considered every month before I'd met Nikki horrible.

I turned the knob on the shower, holding the opposite hand under the steady stream of water to check the temperature. My arm constantly flinched at the temperature either being too cold or too warm despite that everything seemed neutral to me now. My body temp constantly confused me and I could never decide whether something was too warm or too cold. It all seemed fine to me. But when it came to showers, the temperature always counted. I eventually got the setting right and stripped off my blue and black plaid boxers before stepping into the shower. I sighed beneath the water as it streamed down me and I thought once again, absently washing the sweat and grime away.

Did Nikki's parents know about her ability? Did Nick have an ability too? Did her parents have abilities? Where'd she get her ability? Was she born with it or did she swim in a pool of toxic waste sometime in her childhood? Was she bitten by something? Or…were her parents even her parents? Or was she a half-vampire like Renesmee?

I shook the thoughts out of my mind, flinging water sprays against the tiled wall and the shower curtain. I couldn't think about her ability right now. I had a date with her in less than seven hours and I had to regain my composure before that. I had to remember what we've been talking about lately. What had we…oh, the Farah-Collin setup. She was trying to set the pair up together. Actually, Collin's never seen Farah before. He might just…nah; Farah would merely be a distraction before Collin actually did imprint. I was positive that she wouldn't be his imprint.

I quickly shampooed my hair with the special Axe shampoo that my dad told me was only meant for dates. Goddamn it, my dad could be so nosy. He was currently off on some far away business trip in Chicago. My dad's a businessman for some paper-supplier company that runs down in Port Angeles. He constantly gets sent away on business trips but he and my mom are still disgustingly in love. Plus my dad doesn't have the right balls to cheat on my mom. He's the shy professor type who blushes when a chick tells him he looks good in his glasses.

I chuckled at the very thought as I finished rinsing my hair out and turned off the water. I wrapped my towel around my waist before opening up the door and moving towards my bedroom instead of the bathroom. As my brother constantly told me, other people had to use it and I couldn't just use it for my own "grooming" (that little jerk-off). I rummaged through my dresser, thinking about where Nikki and I'd be going tonight. I'd planned on taking her over to a movie and then dinner but what if someone's already seen the movie and she reads their mind? That might ruin it for her. I sighed as I ran a hand through my damp hair. It was rough dating a mind-reader.

I decided to keep the plan, seeing as it was unlikely that someone would go see the same movie twice just to watch it. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a regular grey t-shirt. I decided to wear a light jacket for the appearance. It was just a black army-style jacket that many of my previous girlfriends had thought was sexy. I hoped that Nikki thought so too. I managed to tame my hair into a boy-scout look (upon my mother's insistence when she heard that I was gonna go on a date) and pulled on my pair of tennis shoes.

When I thought that the first floor was clear of my mom I headed out the door and to my car. Jake had helped me tune up the old V8 Volante Aston Martin. He and I had custom painted it a nice sheen black and I guess that counted as brotherly bonding; Sam had encouraged it in the summer when I'd phased for the first time. The hood was pulled up, a clean tan over the chrome rim of the windshield. It was rare that I pulled down the hood because of the rare sunlight.

The second I stepped into Emily's house from outside, wolf-whistles rang out (no pun intended). Surprisingly it wasn't raining out (just a bit cloudy) so it hadn't ruined the look like I'd hoped. I had hoped I'd have the rainy look when I picked Nikki up so that I didn't have to wear the geeky hair. Emily shot a glare at Collin, the one with the most and loudest wolf-whistles, before approaching me. "Don't mind them, Brendan; they're just jealous that you look charming." Emily assured me. I snorted at this as I gave her a thankful smile. She was one of the kindest women in the world. "I know it looks like a prep-geek, Em." I sighed to her as I moved around her to get to the table with the food on it. I was left with scraps.

"I'll make another round." Emily laughed as she saw my disappointed look and headed into the kitchen. "Thanks, Em," I said as I sat down at the table. "So, you sly dog, you revved up for the big date tonight? Ya gonna kiss her?" Collin teased from his seat opposite of me. I swear he had a crush on Nikki or something 'cause he seems to pick on us more than the rest. "Sure will, old friend. I'm gonna put the moves on her and charm her into my arms." I retorted jokingly as I snapped the collar of my jacket. "She'll be mine before sundown." I whispered jokingly. Collin snickered as he rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat, hands behind his head.

"She thinks you and Farah are sure soul mates." Kim interrupted from her perch beside Jared, per usual. Those two couldn't breathe without the other. I could understand this, though. I was hard of breathing right now. "Sure does; she's determined to have you two fall in love." I added to her. Collin cocked an eyebrow at this. "Bring it on, lovebirds. I'll bet you a fifty I don't end up like you when I imprint." Collin laughed. I blinked at Collin. That was an easy win. "You are so on," Jared and I agreed instantly.

That's 1-0-0 for Collin to deal out. He better have that money ready in separate fifties. "I wouldn't do that, Collin," Emily sang as she came up to the table, holding a fresh stack of pancakes on a plate. Collin broke through my pancake-induced haze though. "Hey, Em, you hear 'bout Nix?" Collin asked. All three imprints looked up from either their food or their soul mate. Apparently no one had told them. "No, what about her?" Emily asked. Sam glanced in my direction, asking for approval. I merely shrugged as I began to eat my first syrupy pancake.

"Looks like we got ourselves a little Dr. Do-Little there; girl can read an animal's mind." Collin explained idiotically to the imprints. Kim and Trisha exchanged a look before turning back to Collin, looking for information. "She can read people's minds too. Eddie boy told us last night that she read his mind." He said. I rolled my eyes at his melodrama. "The girly was protecting some baby cub from Bella and Ed." Collin said proudly. "That's why she was surrounded by so many animals when we found her and why she was passed out too." Collin said. I cringed at the fact as I listened to him explain. "Apparently listening to too many minds when still a human can hurt her," He said. I fished a forkful of pancakes into my mouth as everyone turned to see my reaction.

"This is big," Trisha said dumbly. I frowned at her. "I think so," Collin said with a shrug. I rolled my eyes at them as I glanced at the clock. Crap; I still had three hours before I had to pick Nikki up. I couldn't wait that long. "I can't wait," I admitted aloud as I stood up.

Nikki Ann PoV:

The doorbell rang as I was fishing through my drawers. I glanced at the clock, frantic. He was two hours early! I blinked at the clock as I looked through my dresser quicker. I finally pulled out the black fishnet leggings I'd been looking for and pulled them on under my skirt. I was wearing the cargo black mini-skirt that my mom had bought me on a mother-daughter binge along with a black tank top and a mahogany colored fishnet cardigan. The entire outfit was set with my black choker and bell which I reached up to silence once again. My hair was still wet and spiky from my frantic shower.

I quickly combed through my hair before heading to the bathroom to blow dry it. "Nikki! Your…date's here!" Dad called from downstairs. He choked on the word 'date' because of last night; he hated the idea of me being in private with Brendan but he couldn't just forbid me from dating. I quickly blew my hair dry before combing through it and blinking at my reflection. My mom had attempted to put highlights in my hair but it went insanely wrong and she somehow managed to turn my entire mass of hair…brown. I'm not talking about a dark brown either. It looked like caramel, or so she'd said. It looked like old crap. I bit my lip as I looked at my reflection. Hopefully he wouldn't care.

But my hair looked like a camel! I shook the thought away from my head. I'd at least had the decency to dye my eyebrows along with it so that they wouldn't clash entirely. I sprayed that moisturizer spray that my mom lent me and slicked my hair down so that it didn't fluff out or anything. My hair now hung limply against my head, framing my chin and face so that it actually seemed acceptable. I was actually beginning to get used to it. I took a breath through my nose to calm myself down.

The second that I got the sight of him, my soul mate, I was calmed. How could I have even doubted that he wouldn't accept me? Brendan's hair was slicked to the side, giving it a 1950s look like we were going to a sock-hop or soda parlor. His t-shirt and jacket, though, showed off every sculpted muscle he had on his body. His entire sculpted being was flaunted in his clothes and on his frame. He was still the most beautiful creature that I'd ever seen. Who cared how beautiful vampires were? When you compared them to Brendan, they were hideous.

I was tempted to search his mind for just a second, just a single glimpse, to see what he thought of my hair. But I decided against it. I didn't want the headache, the consequence of my "gift", tonight. I only wanted Brendan. I grinned at the sight of him as I paused at the top of the staircase. "Hey," I called down to him. He looked up at me, according to my voice and instantly grinned when he saw me. His eyes lit up at the sight of me and again I was filled with shame for ever doubting his approval. He loved me and I loved him. I rushed down the stairs to get to him, despite that my father stood at the door next to him. I grabbed at my shoes, shoving them onto my feet before heading to the front door.

I greeted Brendan with a kiss but his kiss was…a bit strained. He was concerned about something. Was he still concerned about last night? I frowned at this.

"See ya, dad." I said as I placed my hand delicately onto Brendan's shoulder. I tugged at the broad shoulder of the jacket to urge him forward. "Don't stay out too late; be home by ten." Dad told me. I rolled my eyes as I tugged at Brendan's shoulder again. He finally got the clue and moved ahead. "Goodnight, Mr. Sawyer," Brendan said politely as he led me away, his arm around my waist. Brendan was distracted tonight; what was wrong? Then it really struck me just how concerned he was about last night. He'd been too concerned. I know that I knew Brendan for a week and that was it but…I needed to tell him. He needed to know that I had to be out there, in the forest. Without their voices…I couldn't live.

I couldn't stand Brendan being concerned and he was probably being tortured by not knowing what I'd been doing out there. He needed to understand that without those animals, I couldn't live without the routine of hearing their voices. I needed to keep in contact with those animals. They were my life. Brendan smiled reassuringly down at me as he held open his car door for me. I smiled back but I knew that neither of us wasn't thinking about what would happen tonight. For him it'd be movie and a dinner; for me, it'd be telling him my deepest secret.

=X=X=X=

We'd decided to watch the new Harry Potter movie. I just couldn't pay attention though. The clock was ticking and I was constantly in my seat, shifting beyond shift and itching to tell him right now. I couldn't tell him at this very moment though. I couldn't just skip the entire night's events. If Brendan thought of me as a freak and wanted to break up with me, at least I'd have this one night. That very thought made me want to break down and cry. No matter how connected our souls were, I wouldn't blame him if he thought of me as the freakiest girl he'd ever dated. I watched the screen before us with blank eyes, nothing registering in my mind.

When the credits began to roll, I noted that I needed to see this movie again so that I'd be able to know just what exactly happened. I smiled at Brendan as the lights faded in and everyone got up to get out of the theatre. "It's time to eat; c'mon," He said to me in that regular husky voice. I grinned falsely at this and accepted his hand to help me up. "Right, 'cause eating is everything you need." I joked. Brendan chuckled too but neither of us felt the humor. He was digging on something and I was digging in on my secret. I had to tell him but if he thought of me as a freak then I'd be heartbroken. I wouldn't be able to handle it if Brendan left me.

I clutched onto Brendan's hand for dear life as we exited the theatre. "Do you just want to get dinner here? I mean, they sell hot dogs and popcorn and that could make a great junky dinner." I offered as I pointed at the concession counter. Brendan nodded eagerly, glad for the escape. "Do you want me to get it or do you want to come with?" He asked hopefully. I shrugged. "I'll just wait over here," I told him as I pointed to the bench near us. He nodded quickly before dashing off. I headed over to the bench and sat down on the hard plastic seat.

I began to think of how I'd tell him. I could read his mind and tell him what he was thinking. I could tell him and wait for him to disbelieve the fact. He'd call me insane then break up with me. I wouldn't blame him. I could take him into the forest and tell him what the animals were thinking. I could…what else could I do? I couldn't go ahead and leave him in the dark about my so-called gift. He had a right to know. Damn it! What do I do?

Brendan PoV:

I'd decided I couldn't do it. I couldn't keep it from her that I knew. I couldn't keep anything from her. And she dyed her hair! It looked great on her, like she was still the Goddess that I knew her to be. She was concerned about something. I was concerned about telling her tonight. I had to tell her tonight. I couldn't keep the fact that I knew from her and she needed to understand that I understood. She needed to know that I knew what it was like to be freaky, to be different. She needed to know that I was a freak too. I mean, it's not like she's a freak but she might think of herself as one and that could be understandable because I constantly called myself a freak because I am one. Dear Jesus, I turned into Trisha.

**A/N: CLIFF HANGER! BUM, BUM, BU-U-U-U-UM!**

**Anyways… I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while but lately I've gotten into Glee and my friend is urging me to write a Glee fan-fiction. Her favorite pairing is Kurt and Dave and quite frankly, they're growing on me too. I've been thinking about adding in a gay character.**


End file.
